Fish and Butterflies
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: While waiting on a potion to finish brewing, Sofia and Cedric discuss seemingly random topics that mean more than they think.


Fish and Butterflies

Summary: While waiting on a potion to finish brewing, Sofia and Cedric discuss seemingly random topics that mean more than they think.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Sofia the First," but I am the proud owner of several fish (both saltwater and freshwater). :)

A/N: I don't know what brought this about… I think it was the fact that my sister had asked me to order some caterpillars for her pre-k classroom (as a high school teacher, I was baffled as to WHY). Lol. No idea… But then again, you know my mind has never been entirely "logical" by now, so I guess this isn't really that much of a surprise! Haha

"How long is the potion going to take, Mr. Cedric?" Sofia asked curiously as she played with the cover of one of his books. Her eyes watched as it moved back and forth, slightly stirring the paper within.

"About an hour," he answered truthfully. "It's a complicated potion, I'm afraid. And if we don't let it take its time, it is likely to become highly explosive and therefore dangerous."

"Well, we can't have that," she responded with a nervous giggle. The idea that they were now making something potentially dangerous bothered her on some level, but Cedric had assured her that it wasn't to be used for anything harmful. Instead, the potion itself was going to be very useful and beneficial; however, they had to get through the difficult part first. As he'd explained, it was like the difference between eating a poisonous herb solo and combining the same dangerous herb into a designated medication…or something like that. She'd honestly zoned out a few times.

"Don't worry, Sofia," he told her in a calm voice, making her feel better. "Nothing bad will happen. Nothing bad happened last time, and I assure you that things will be all right this time too."

"Okay, Mr. Cedric." She smiled peacefully. "I believe you." She looked around the workshop and blinked a few times, a thought coming to her mind. "You know, with all the flowers you have upstairs, you should have some butterflies in here."

Cedric laughed as he gathered the book with which she'd been playing and placed it back onto his shelf. "What makes you say that?"

"Butterflies like flowers, don't they?"

"Yes, indeed, but so do bees and hummingbirds, and if I get chased by one more hummingbird, I'm going to create a sticky trap."

She giggled at the mental picture she had of Cedric, a grownup, being chased by a hummingbird, a tiny but noisy creature. "Hey, next time you get chased by one, can I watch?" She grinned as he shot her a look. "What?"

"You've never had one of those blasted things attempt to attack your ear before, have you?" Seeing her shake her head, Cedric huffed and folded his arms. "Then don't jest about it until it happens to you. Hummingbirds are _evil_, I tell you."

"Oh, Mr. Cedric…" She sighed with a grin and shook her head. She had noticed that he was a lot more peaceful and playful lately, and she assumed it had something to do with his recent experiences. He was revered as a great sorcerer by not only herself, but also by the fairies and some of her classmates (especially Vivian, who just adored him as much as Sofia did…well, _almost_ as much—the younger Enchancian princess still had some years on her friend).

A blanket of tranquil quiet enveloped the two friends as they watched the potion brew for a few more minutes. Cedric felt himself nearly slip into sleep before Sofia giggled about something. He blinked toward her. "What?" he wondered, raising an eyebrow as she smiled secretively and shook her head. "No, what is it?"

"Well, it's just… If you think about it, Mr. Cedric, you are kind of like a butterfly."

Oh, he couldn't _wait_ to hear _this_ explanation. He smirked. "And how, pray tell, did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's simple. Butterflies start of as clumsy caterpillars—"

"I don't like this example," Cedric mumbled as he folded his arms defiantly.

The princess laughed. "Hear me out, Mr. Cedric! Well, like I said, they start off as caterpillars, and people don't really think much of caterpillars. They're kind of boring, actually…" She grinned when he gasped. "…And some caterpillars even _sting_. Did you know that?"

"Of course I knew that…" He didn't actually know that, but he wanted to appear just as intellectual as she seemed to be on the issue. He couldn't have her one-up him when she was comparing him to an apparently "boring caterpillar."

"_But_," Sofia continued, holding out one hand emphatically, "then they go through metamorphosis. They come to terms with who they are on the inside, and when they _finally_ realize the truth, they turn into beautiful butterflies." She smiled happily. "You're a butterfly now, Mr. Cedric."

Despite the silliness of the metaphor, the sorcerer couldn't help but feel touched at her analogy. He let a smile form on his face. "You think so, Princess?"

"Of course I do! Besides, you're too colorful to be a caterpillar now…" She giggled when he rolled his eyes.

"Well, thank you, Sofia. I appreciate that, and I do mean it sincerely. Not many people think that way about me—not many people think to compare others with flittering nectar-stealers either, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

Upon hearing that, Sofia's giggle erupted into laughter. "I guess not!" She settled down and glanced back at the potion, pondering her discussion with her friend.

"Well, then," he said a few moments later, getting the girl's attention. "If I am a butterfly, then you are a fish."

She blinked, tilting her head. "A…fish?" She leaned on her hands and stared at him in interest. "How come?"

"Fish are known for being relatively peaceful to watch. Many are also very colorful, and they stand out among the drab environment of murky waters." Seeing the girl's eyes widen slightly, Cedric smiled. "And no matter what happens to them—if they're caught in a fisherman's net or sense danger from underwater enemies—they still try their best to survive and prosper."

Sofia blushed lightly in appreciation and giggled. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric…"

"Mm… Of course, fish also have that interesting _smell_ about them…"

Sofia gasped with a frown. "Just what does _that_ mean, Mr. Cedric?" She pouted. "I don't smell weird."

"Which is precisely why you're _not_ a fish—you're Sofia. But like a fish, you are really peaceful to be around…which I suppose is something I've needed in my life for a very long time."

The girl smiled shyly again and giggled. "Okay, that's more like it. Thank you for that, Mr. Cedric. But…" She pondered. "In nature, don't fish sometimes eat butterflies?"

Cedric paused and scoffed. "Well, that just puts a damper on the whole conversation. Nice job, Sofia."

She laughed and waved a hand. "I'm just wondering. Besides, I'd never hurt you, Mr. Cedric. Not when you finally got your wings."

A look of sheer surprise etched itself into the sorcerer's face before he smiled appreciatively and reached across the table, taking his apprentice's hand. "Thank you, my dear. That means a great deal to me."

Sofia returned his smile and they conversation turned to other important topics, namely why peanut butter did not in fact have actual butter in it and various other things that came to mind.

The end

A/N: I don't know why metaphors come to me more easily at night, but there you go. Haha. Oh! I am in Missouri on a mini vacation, and it's COLD up here! It's literally freezing right now, as in 32 degrees. But it's not horribly bad, so I say bring it. :D

**Review Responses**

CedricAmber: Hehe, I would LOVE to see your version of kid Cedric! I bet he'd be hilarious. :P And yeah, for some reason Wormy being called a "crow" is like a touchy subject. I credit my love of Edgar Allan Poe. Lol, I don't know.  
The only kid born in the 20th century, huh? I know that feeling. Lol. Most of the kids these days are like, "Why is everyone obsessed with the 90s?" Because they were AWESOME, that's why! …I'm good now. :D And the way you watched Cinderella so often was like how I was obsessed with The Little Mermaid and Casper. Ooh, I loved those movies. :) And you know what? I hope they put Hans in Frozen 2, if for no other reason than to see him decked by ELSA this time…. :P  
And yes, I did get to see all the new episodes before I left, and I completely agree with you. The "Tale of Two Teams" episode was my favorite, followed by Clover's episode. I still don't like Jade though…just URGH. LET IT GO, JADE! Haha, I had to. I understand she needed glasses and felt betrayed but the girl needs to calm down. Even Ruby and Lucinda got over it faster than she did. The girl holds a grudge. Lol. And I'm with you—Tizzy was slightly annoying. I love Ruby and everything, but her fairy godmother needs a clue. Haha. And Sofia and Clover arguing just reminded me of my sister and me. I would be Sofia (I like my room CLEAN and in order), and my sister would be the one messing things up…especially when we were little. The whole reason I got my own room was because I couldn't handle her clutter. Hehe. (Oh, and NO Cedric in any of them?! AHHHH! It was like a SIN. Haha, jk.) AND I'm glad you liked the new video! The song is called "Sitting on Top of the World" by Delta Goodrem. I found the song by accident one time and was like, "Hey…this is flipping amazing!" And it went from there. Ha!

Guest: Aw, thanks! :) Glad you liked it.

Sofia2015: Messaged you, and I aim to make people feel better if I can. Hang in there. :)

grovyleanime: Well, thank you! That was sweet of you!

LongLiveNiNoKuni: No problem! I'm working on some notes for the story right now, and I'm adding in the ideas you toss in to see how everything plays out. If I'm right, this may end up being either a 5000+ word story OR a multi-chapter… Not sure yet. We'll see. As for the other story, I loved making Cedric childish. He needs a bit of downtime every now and then, and we all know he's just a big kid sometimes. :D Glad you liked it! And as for the amulet idea… :D Mwahahaha! JK, no, that really does sound like a great idea. I'll have to work with that… I'm getting a plan formed. :p

brave kid: Thanks! Yep, it was a great idea.

Royal Detective: Thanks, girl! I'm on vacation right now, and I'm enjoying myself. I needed this more than I thought. Haha. Saw the episodes, and overall they were cute, except poor Cedric got left out. Lol. Ah, well. There's always next season!

Belco: Aw, thank you! :) I love little kid Cedric from "Substitute Cedric," so I'd love to see what he was ACTUALLY like at some point in the future…

theblindwriter95: Hi, my dear! :) Thanks so much. Yes, I like fluff too… Could be how I got my love of cotton candy. Lol.

To you all: Thanks for the constant reviews and positivity. I love every one of you for it. :) You make my days that much brighter and more awesome, and I always look forward to seeing what you have to say. Till next story (keep an eye out)! ~AquaTurquoise


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